The Milwaukee Bucks put up their best fight yet in Vegas, but it still wasn't enough, falling 95-88 to the Phoenix Suns. This was a back-to-back for them, and with key guys like Cormac Ryan and Kasparas Jakucionis out, the squad still brought the energy. Yet again, Brayden Burries absolutely went off, dropping 23 points, pulling down eight rebounds, dishing out six assists, and snagging four steals. What a stat line for a guy who was doing most of the work early on, alongside Pete Nance. That's the kind of all-around effort you love to see, even in a loss.
Bucks Battle Back, But Suns Flex Early
That first quarter was a grind, low-scoring and tight throughout. Burries and Nance were grinding it out for the Bucks, while Koa Peat was just throwing his body around for the Suns, making his presence felt. Milwaukee wasn't backing down, punching back with a quick 5-2 run to close the quarter. Burries nailed a huge three, and then Luke Travers hit a majestic layup, helping them grab a 22-19 lead after one. Things got tough fast in the second, though. Phoenix's 7’2” second-year man Khaman Maluach just asserted his dominance inside, and before you knew it, the Suns had flipped the script, taking a 30-26 edge. The Bucks tried to get Nate Ament more involved as a primary ball-handler, and it was rough. He turned it over a few times, just getting outmuscled. Koby Brea, who'd been struggling big-time in Summer League, then hit his second three to stretch the Suns' lead to nine, 35-26, halfway through the quarter. But Ament, to his credit, immediately answered with a transition bomb to get on the board. The Bucks kept trying to chip away, cutting the deficit to around six points, only for Darius Brown to hit *two* timely threes to push it right back out. But Milwaukee kept fighting, with Markovic and Burries leading a sick end-of-quarter sprint that brought the Bucks back to within one, 45-44, at halftime. You could feel that grit.Second Half Fireworks and Flashes
The third quarter kicked off with both teams trading blows, refusing to give an inch. Burries, being Burries, opened the quarter by draining a step-back three right over his college teammate Koa Peat. I swear I saw him jawing with Peat a bit after, and you love to see that fire! Darius Brown hit another triple for the Suns, but then the floodgates opened for Bogi. After struggling all week, he erupted, nailing his third *and* fourth triples of the game in rapid succession, putting the Bucks up 53-51 in the opening minutes. That’s what we'd been waiting for! Then Ament started flashing some serious potential. He took the first bump from the more experienced Brea, powered right through it to get fouled under the hoop. A possession later, he nailed his second transition three of the night, followed by a strong drive to the hoop to draw another foul. The Bucks were up 60-57 with six, and man, you just wanted to see them finish it out! What a battle, even if it ended in a loss. Burries is clearly a problem for opposing defenses, putting up monster numbers. Ament showed he can bounce back from mistakes and flash serious playmaking ability. And Bogi finally finding his shot? That's huge for his confidence going forward. Summer League is all about showing what you got, and even in a loss, a lot of these guys proved they belong in the conversation. They definitely brought the heat, and that's all you can ask for from these young bucks.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.